Tales from a Torn Atmos
by FuryOfTheBlackbird
Summary: A storm approaches. Children are disappearing, and political officials assassinated at a terrifying rate. Amid the turmoil, the Sky Knight Council is silent, though the people of Atmos whisper rumours of preparations for all out war. While investigating, the Storm Hawks begin to unravel the truth behind it all, and find that it is far more sinister than they could have imagined.
1. Prologue

Note that a few OCs will be included, and large chunks of the story will revolve around them, or be told from their POV. I have spent a lot of time on them them, and have experience writing them before (unpublished but still :P), so I hope this does not turn you off from reading this.

I'm really just testing the water with this, and may not continue it for quite awhile due to other projects I currently have going and intend to finish, as well as the fact that this story still needs a lot of planning.

* * *

 **Prologue**

Darkness surrounded her, suffocating her, totally, and utterly engulfing her senses. Drowning, some might call it, but in drowning there is still some semblance of hope. Normal humans would have been rendered helpless in such complete darkness, but whatever she was now, it was not a normal human. The darkness was her home, and though it suffocated her, the light would bring her even greater suffering.

A metal door creaked open, the squealing overwhelming her senses. A faint, orange glow seeped into the shadowy cell. She shrunk away from it, chains jingling discordantly as they dragged across the metal floor. Even such faint light was uncomfortable to look at. The shadows of two men appeared in the doorway, their whispers carrying over to the dark corner where she sat, eyes squeezed shut and hands over her ears.

"Be careful; she's dangerous." One said, their voice still audible Dangerous… The guards that came by often called her that. Was that why they kept her here? She thought back for an answer, but everything before her captivity was blank, as it had always been. Perhaps she hadn't existed then, but surely that could not be true. If this was all she had ever been, then what reason would they have to find her dangerous?

"Dangerous?" The other scoffed. "She's chained up Doctor, she ain't doin' anything."

"You Talons have no idea what you're dealing with." The Doctor snapped. "This girl is dangerous even without the Master's _help_." Talons, Cyclonia. Those were words she'd hear often too. It felt as though she should know what they meant.

"Whatever, just get in there and get it over with." There were footsteps, and the men entered the room. The door shut behind them, and for one short, sweet moment, the darkness returned. She knew this comfort would not last. Not when _he_ was here now. The Doctor walked towards her. Pain, that was all this squat old man brought to her. No doubt he was here to conduct the cruel experiments he called science.

He reached for his flashlight, and she lurched backwards, yanking the chins back as far as they would go. "Know what's coming, don't you?" A sickeningly sadistic smile crept over the Doctor's face. "It'll be quick, don't you worry." He held the flashlight directly over her eyes, and switched it on. The light seared her eyes, and she twisted away in agony. The Doctor switched the light off, and as her eyes readjusted to the darkness she could see that he looked pleased with the results.

"Now, subject, can you tell me who you are?" He asked. She opened her mouth to answer, unsure if her voice would even work after such a long period of disuse.

"No…" Her voice came out as quiet as a whisper. Again, the doctor seemed pleased.

"Perfect." He said, and gestured for the Talon to come closer. "Your knife, if you will." So this was how it was going to end, this brief life in the dark belly of Cyclonia. She closed her eyes. Maybe this was the way it was meant to be for her, a person or thing clearly too dangerous to be kept alive even. But death didn't come as expected, and instead, she felt the Doctor reach around her back. He grabbed hold of her long hair, and chopped of a sizeable amount. She saw as he handed it over to the Talon, that it was straight and black. "This should convince the Council she's really gone." The Doctor said to him. "And tell the Master that conditioning is complete. The subject is ready." There were more footsteps and a clang as they shut the door. She opened her eyes, alone again at last.

So he had known, he had known all along who she was, and kept it from her on purpose. She had a life once, and he had taken it all away from her, strangled it with his short chubby fingers, and he was going snuff out any memory of her all the same. Her heart beat quickened, fists tightening in their chains. She hung her head, teardrops silently falling to the floor one by one. As they pooled there, an image reflected off them, two glowing blue eyes the shade of a sky that she'd long forgotten.

She was not going be forgotten.

She was not going to _let_ herself be forgotten.

* * *

Sooo, I realize this was quite a depressing start, but the story itself isn't going to get this dark for awhile. In fact, expect the first chapter to be quite a lot lighter than this. Plus you'll be seeing the Storm Hawks and some others next chapter. :D


	2. Chapter 1: Memories from a Starry Night

**Chapter 1**

 _Memories from a Starry Night_

Soft grass tickled between her toes as she stumbled after him, a boy no older than herself, black haired and grinning. Haze shrouded his image, faded and blurred like a photograph abandoned in the sunlight. She felt comfort by his side, but also guilt. He had to have meant a lot to her, if his hand in hers was such an unremarkable thing. Yet if that was true, then why was it that she couldn't remember his name? It was almost as though it had never existed in her memory in the first place.

They stopped just beyond the round of the hill, their gazes fixed firmly upon the stars, watching them with wide eyes as if waiting for a miracle. She spoke the boy's name, a name from a language she could not understand, which struck her as unusual. If she could not understand it, then how could it be that she was able to speak it with such ease? She shook off the thought, though the strangeness of it lingered, clouding the comfort of this memory with uneasiness. He answered her softly, the words coming from his mouth, all unintelligible besides one that rang clearer than all others, a name. Her name. She realized then, that tears were spilling from her eyes, and looked up at the sky as she wiped them away. From the walled city beyond the hill, lights floated up, paper lanterns, numerous and bright filling the sky with light. She raised an arm, the lantern in her own hand catching in the breeze, and for the first time in this dream of a memory she _felt;_ wonder and joy as vivid red as the lantern that she had just let go of, but also a sense of loss… as though there were something here that could no longer exist. Warm tears rolled down her cheek, and she closed her eyes.

She was kneeling now, on a cold hardwood floor, the soft patter of her tears upon it filling the empty room. Her hands curled up into balls, trembled within her flowing white sleeves. Why was she crying? Like the young boy's name the answer evaded her. A door swung open, and she hastily dried her eyes, chin tilted upwards in feign of courage. Someone spoke, their voice, she did not recognize. It was her name again. They, a faceless person dressed all in white, held something out to her in offering; a sword, or a katana to be precise, wrapped in black cloth. She reached out for it, sleeves draping around her arms, and took it from them with unsteady hands. The cloth fell away like ribbons twirling to the floor; the blade beneath wicked sharp and black as an empty, starless night. She held it up to the light, its edges flashing red like the light of the blood moon as she tilted it towards her. Holding it straight, she closed her eyes again, spinning into a circular slash.

Someone cried out in the darkness, deep in the depths of her memory where forgotten things lurked. Blood was dripping slowly down the edge of her sword, though when it got there, and whom it belonged to she could not recall. Lost… she felt so lost. Who was she again? She seemed to have forgotten. What she wouldn't give to hear her name one more time. Her eyes wandered again to the sword in her hands, and she noticed that the blood had trickled its way into the crooks of her palms. She let go of the sword, the breath leaving her body as a strangled cry. Dyed in crimson and black, it fell to the ground with a hollow, echoing clank. Something horrible had done this, something horrible festering inside her, like the evil spirits in the legends of old. She clutched her head, and screamed for it to leave.

As if in answer, a voice came from above, a woman's voice beckoning her gaze upwards. She spoke in incantations, ancient words of power that froze her body, and stole away her will to move. Cloaked in a deep, washed out burgundy, she descended from the blazing sky and landed softly on the charred ground. Her vision blurred as the woman stepped towards her, her bird like figure silhouetting against the fiery horizon. She smiled with crooked satisfaction, her violet eyes, the mark of the devil, clearly visible. From that moment on, she knew this was the end for her. It had been her fate, set out for her the moment she was born as the seers foretold. But not like this, she would have accepted anything but this. For the last time she closed her eyes, crying again because now she knew the feeling of despair.

* * *

Sapphire woke with a start, sitting bolt upright as her heart hammered in her ears. It was still dark in her room, the stars floating by her window as they drifted just above the cloud tops. Holding close her sheets, she let the steady hum of the Condor's engines cradle her fall back to reality. This was the third night in a row these dreams had come to her, vague, barely formed images that morphed into vivid, terrifying nightmares. Every night it was the same story that played out before her eyes, a tragedy that repeated itself over and over as though acting upon a will of its own to ensure she never forget it.

She slipped out of bed and wandered over to the mirror in a daze. Beyond the glass another her stared back, hunched over a table with tired, hazel eyes. It had only been a dream, she knew that very well, and yet it felt as though she'd spent an entire lifetime in it, only to find upon waking up that it had all, in fact been made up. Grin cracking through her groggy expression, it dawned upon her how ridiculous she was being. This was who she was, who she always had been, just a naïve girl who left home, captivated by tales of the exploits of heroes and Sky Knights. She had once wanted to be one too she recalled, reaching for the white coat on the wall, stitched together in places and yellowed from age. But early in her life it became clear; to be a Sky Knight was not a path that was open to her. Sky Knights were strong, and her, predisposed to weakness. Such was all the doctors of her childhood were able to make of her condition. And so faced with a closed door, she made a decision, to give hope, not as the Sky Knights did with their weapons, but as doctors did with their minds.

Sighing quietly, she pulled on the white coat she realized was still sitting in her hands and stepped out into the hallway. As it turned out though, it was not quite as simple as her childhood self had imagined. Rather than a beacon of hope, she found herself more often the bearer of bad news. It was part of being a doctor's apprentice, she knew and accepted this, but by being assigned to this ship she had run into a new problem.

Standing, gazing at the door to Piper's room, guilt washed over her anew. Sleeping on the other side was a friend, and to the Storm Hawks, something far more. To save Piper from the Binding, that was her sole duty on the ship, and on the day she departed, she swore it to herself to fulfill it no matter what. But above all else it was a job, and as the head doctor had taught her, she was to put reason before personal feelings. The truth would have to come out eventually, that in the long month and a half she'd been there, Piper's condition had only deteriorated further. And so she asked herself the same question over and over, how could she do this to them? How could she tell them, that despite their trust in her, they were on track to lose the person that meant the most to them? Shaking her head at herself she pressed onward into the halls. There was no answer, no neat and perfect solution that would fulfill her selfish desire to make things stay the way they were. Like all things, her time here was destined to come to an end, one way or another. The head doctor had been wrong to expect anything else.

In absence of an objective, her feet eventually led to the Condor's bridge. Stepping under the wide round skylight, she watched as the pale moonlight illuminated the dust upon her worn lace up boots, and made a mental note to brush them off later.

"You're up early." Sapphire's head snapped upwards at the sound of the voice, startled to find that she was not alone. As she scanned the area, the source of the voice made itself apparent; it was Domino, the weapons specialist. She sat on the edge of the table, her hair a light straw blond chopped off just below her ears, and small enough in stature that her feet barely brushed the floor as they dangled off the edge.

"Oh, it's only you," Sapphire said, tilting her head slightly as she smiled in relief.

"Who else were you expecting?" Domino questioned, blowing at the strands of hair that lined her face.

"I'm not really sure, but I am glad it's you." Sapphire pulled her hair out of the way as she sat down beside her. It wasn't really necessary anymore as she had it cut after leaving home, but habits from those days died hard.

"So, what are you doing awake?"

"Had a weird dream, that's all." Sapphire shrugged.

"Same," Domino replied, blowing a small, pink bubble with her chewing gum. She had to have been chewing it awhile, as it quickly popped before reaching any significant size. "Weird doesn't even begin to describe it though."

"If I had to put it into words, I would have to say," Sapphire began to explain her dream, but stopped herself partway, shaking her head. "Nevermind, it's stupid…" Domino would never take it seriously anyways.

"Spill it," she urged.

"Well, I'm not sure what it was, but I felt like I wasn't me, like I was remembering someone else's life," Sapphire found herself obliging, much to her own reluctance.

"Maybe you're psychic," Domino joked.

"I'm being serious though," Sapphire spoke with a frown, though she'd somewhat expected that reaction, "it was awful."

"Sorry," she winced, "was trying to lighten the mood, but bad timing I guess."

"No, I apologize." Sapphire shook her head again and sighed. "There's a lot on my mind right now, that's all."

"If you need to talk it out, I'm all ears you know." Domino said, leaning back onto the table and blowing another small bubble. "What's up?"

"It's the same thing we're all worrying about, isn't it?" Sapphire said, closing her eyes, "It's been so long, and we still don't have even a single clue about the missing kids." That wasn't the whole story, she was sure Domino knew it too. But she wasn't the type to pry. Of all the Storm Hawks, it gnawed at her the most not to tell her. Even Domino would likely turn her back if she knew what was happening though, and of all of them, losing her was going to hurt the most.

"Hey, it's us remember?" Domino said, playfully nudging her on the shoulder and flashing a reassuring smile. "We'll find them eventually."

"I know we will," Sapphire said quietly, though her voice gained some momentum as she spoke, "but if the other squadrons helped, we could find them _faster_. Why won't they, Domino? I don't understand…"

"Aerrow trusts them," Domino spoke tersely, as she often did when other Sky Knights came into the conversation, "but I know how they work. Things get bad, they only look out for themselves."

"Surely though…"

"Terra Anemos was hit when the whole squadron was there, and they were obliterated. No, even if it's what's right they won't risk leaving their Terras."

"Anemos? You don't mean…" Sapphire felt her stomach drop. Domino's gaze lowered, weariness passing briefly over her grey eyes.

"The last neutral Terra. We found out just last night," she said quietly.

"No way…" Sapphire whispered to herself, unable to believe what she was hearing. She'd met a boy and a girl from that Terra no more than a few months ago. They would visit the clinic on Atmosia frequently for supplies, and while they waited she often spoke with them. Rae and Alistair they called themselves, and from what she took away from their conversations they were Sky Knights, though they abhorred being called such. The other staff there would stiffen up around them, and they seemed to appreciate the friendly face. Sapphire didn't know why this was, but she was more than happy to hear what they had to say. Eventually though, their visits became less and less, until one day they stopped all together. Now she understood why. They'd been fighting for their lives, and had lost….

"Hey, chin up," Domino interrupted her thoughts, another reassuring smile at the ready as she turned to look at her. "No moping on your first mission, you hear?"

"Right…" She'd almost forgotten Aerrow wanted to bring her along for recon, and already she wished she hadn't agreed. One way or another though, she knew it was necessary. Being on the Condor was a risk in and of itself, and knowing how to get away or defend herself was something she needed to learn how to do, condition or no condition. She only wished a real mission was not one of the few ways to do it.

"That reminds me, I have a little present for you." Domino leaned down so that her feet touched the floor, and flicked the sheathed dagger that had been lying there upwards with her toes. She caught it in mid-air, giving a cocky smirk as she did so. "It's yours, for tonight at least. Take care of it okay?" She said, handing it to Sapphire who smiled and rolled her eyes at the display. Hesitating slightly, Sapphire pulled it part way out of the sheath. Stricken by the void like black of the blade, she realized that she was holding one of Domino's close combat weapons, half of a pair of daggers that unlike any others required no crystal power source. Its red sheen felt vaguely familiar, though she was sure she'd never seen anything like it before.

"Are you sure?" Sapphire asked in surprise. "I mean, I don't think I can make very good use of it."

"Bleak Point is near empty, but just incase." She answered, cocking her head to the side. Sapphire smiled, and looked down again to the dagger now lying across her lap, proof of kindness she didn't deserve. She was a liar, a liar that was letting them down.

"Thank you, Domino," she said, turning to her again.

"Don't mention it." Domino shrugged. "But I mean it, take extra special care of it okay?"

"Of course," Sapphire replied, pretending to rub sleep grime from her eyes, as she wiped away a still forming tear. Thankfully, it seemed Domino's gaze was turned elsewhere.

"Hey, speaking of Bleak Point," Domino said, hopping down from the table. "We should be getting close." Wandering over to the front windows, she pressed the edge of her hand against her forehead, scanning the horizon. Sure enough, a Terra rose from the clouds in the distance, a shadowy point of land jutting out into the night like a dark black crack in sky, cranes and platforms hanging off the sides of it like ornaments on a particularly craggy tree; a small Cyclonian shipping yard from the looks of it, and definitely not empty.

Sapphire opened her mouth to make a sarcastic remark, but before she could say it, the door to the hallway opened, and Aerrow walked in, already in his gear and ready to go. He saw them, and smiled, "Great, you're both here. Let's get started."

* * *

 **A/N:** This took forever and a half, DX hope you all enjoyed it. I struggled for a long time with how to introduce Sapphire and Domino, and their dynamic, so I hope I got it all through fine without being too expositiony. Next chapter we'll be getting into some action, as Sapphire and Aerrow search Bleak Point for clues, and find waaaaay more than expected.

 **Be sure to visit my tumblr (checkeredtablesloth) for little drawings and extra tidbits about my characters! All of these will be tagged as #tales from a torn atmos for your viewing convenience!**


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